Pumping jack

ABSTRACT

An improved pumping jack is provided for particular use in oil fields for driving oil well pumps, but which has general utility. The pumping jack of the invention includes a member mounted for angular movement about a particular axis, and which defines first and second fluid chambers on either side of the said axis. A pump and valve combination selectively introduces and discharges fluid to and from the first and second fluid chambers to cause the aforesaid member to oscillate about the axis so as to achieve the desired reciprocal pump driving action.

United States Patent Clay [54] PUMPING JACK [72] inventor: Robert A.- Clay, Costa Mesa, Calif.

[73] Assignees Kinetic Power, lnc., Costa Mesa, Calif.

[22] Filed: June 29, 1970 [21] Appl. No.1 50,388

[52] US. Cl. .60/9, 60/52 PJ, 185/29, 417/329, 60/52 US, 60/22.2

[51] Int. Cl. ..F03g 3/00 [58] Field olSearch ..60/1,7, 9,52 PJ,52 VM, 222; 185/4, 27, 29; 417/329; 46/41; 91/340 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 974,991 11/1910 Radigan ..60/9 UX 2,659,215 11/1953 Massopust... 2,791,093 5/1957 Shafer ..60/52 VM UX [451 Mar. 28, 1972 1,897,075 2/1933 Samson ..60/52 VM UX F ORElGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 422,085 6/1947 ltaly ..60/9

Primary Examiner-Edgar W. Geoghegan Attorney-Jessup and Beecher [57] ABSTRACT An improved pumpingjack is provided for particular use in oil fields for driving oil well pumps, but which has general utility. The pumping jack of the invention includes a member mounted for angular movement about a particular axis, and which defines first and second fluid chambers on either side of the said axis. A pump and valve combination selectively introduces and discharges fluid to and from the first and second fluid chambers to cause the aforesaid member to oscillate about the axis so as to achieve the desired reciprocal pump driving action.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patented March 28, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 dampar/mwr/ (Kirk/Vi)? PUMPING JACK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Since relatively few oil wells flow from natural pressures, most wells require a pumping unit to remove the oil. The usual prior art pumping unit include a pivotally mounted walking beam which is driven, for example, by an electric or internal combustion engine. The walking beam is connected to a series of sucker rods which extend down the well to a plunger-type of pump which is positioned near the bottom of the well.

The usual prior art pumping unit is subject to certain disadvantages. For example, there is a tendency for the pumping jack to break the sucker rods due to the inherent jerking motion imparted to the rods by the jack. This requires expensive operations in removing the broken rods from the well and in replacing them with new ones. Also, it entails expensive down time for the well.

The improved pumping jack of the present invention, on the other hand, provides a smooth controllable pumping action and has no tendency whatever to snap the sucker rods. Moreover, the improved pumping jack of the invention is capable of providing the desired pumping action with a fraction of the motor horsepower required in the prior art equivalent unit.

The pumping jack of the invention operates without producing current surges in the electric power line when an electric motor is employed as the prime mover. This greatly reduces the peak demands of the unit, with additional savings in electric power costs. In addition, the unit is easily adjustable to provide any desired cycle time for optimum pumping efficiency. The units can also be set to provide a dwell time at the bottom of the pumping stroke to provide time for oil to flow into the area and further to enhance the pumping capacity and efficiency of the unit.

In the improved pumping jack of the invention, and particularly in one of the embodiments to be described, there is particularly an advantage in that it permits liquid, drilling mud, or similar materials to be used conveniently as counterweights. This is a particular advantage insofar as shipping the unit is concerned, since the unit itself may be shipped without counterweights, and the counterweight material provided at the site.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the improved pumping jack of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a section of a valve which may be included in the unit of FIG. 1, and also a schematic representation of an associated pump;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of a second embodiment; and

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the embodiment of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS The pumping jack unit shown in FIG. 1 includes, for example, a base and a supporting bracket and housing 12 mounted on the base. An elongated tubular member 14 is pivotally mounted in the bracket 12 for reciprocal angular movement about the pivot axis. A first spherical member 16 is mounted at one end of the tubular member 14, and a second spherical member 18 is mounted at the other end of the tubular member 14. The members 16 and 18 define respective fluid chambers for the unit, for reasons to be described.

A line 20 is mounted ina bracket 22 secured to the spherical member 18, the line extending to a sucker rod 24 which, in turn, extends down into a well 26. It will be appreciated that as the tubular member 14 oscillates about the aforesaid pivot axis, the line 20 causes the sucker rod 24 to move up and down, thereby actuating a pump down in the well to cause the oil to be discharged through an outlet 28.

In FIG. 2, a valve assembly 50 may be supported within the housing 12 at the center of the tubular member 14. The valve 50 includes an'outer casing having an inlet port 52 at one side thereof and an outlet port 54 at the other side thereof diametrically opposite the inlet port. A first pipeline 56 couples the outlet of a pump 58 to the inlet port 52, and a second pipeline 60 couples the outlet port 54 to the intake of the pump 58. The pump 58 may be mounted, for example, within the housing 12, and accessible through an access door 13, whereas the valve 50 may be accessible through an access door 15.

A discharge line 62 from the sphere 18 extends through the left-hand end of the tubular member 14 and through a further port into the interior of the valve 50, whereas an inlet line 64 for the sphere 18 extends through another port of the interior of the valve 50. Likewise, a discharge line 66 extends through the right-hand side of the tubular member I4 from the sphere 16 to the interior of the valve 50, whereas an inlet line 68 extends through the tubular member from the valve to the spherical member 16.

The valve 50 includes an internal valve member 50b which may be turned about the central axis 70 of the unit. The valve member 50b may be turned clockwise, for example, to a first position in which the discharge line 66 from the cylinder 16 is coupled to the outlet port 54, and the inlet line 64 of the cylinder 18 is coupled to the inlet port 52. For such a position of the valve member, appropriate fluid is transferred by the pump 58 from the sphere 16 to the sphere 18. This action would occur, for example, when the sphere 18 is in the up position and the sphere 16 is in the down position, so as to return the pump to the bottom of its pumping stroke. At that time, the valve member 50b is turned so that the inlet line 68 is coupled to the outlet of the pump 58 and the discharge line 62 is coupled to the intake of the pump 58. Then, the fluid is pumped to the cylinder 16 to cause the cylinder to move to its lower position, thereby causing the cylinder 18 to rise, and to effectuate a pumping stroke insofar as the pump in the well is concerned.

The cycle is then repeated, and a reciprocal pump driving action is set up by the mechanism. The valve member 5012 may be controlled in any appropriate manner, either hydraulically, electrically, mechanically or manually, whichever is desired, so that the valve member may be turned at the appropriate times to reverse the fluid flow through the valve 50 and thereby achieve the aforesaid pumping action.

The pumping jack shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 operates on the same principles as the pumping jack shown in FIG. 1. In the latter embodiment a drum is mounted in a pair of supports 102 on suitable pintles 104, so that the drum may oscillate back and forth about its central axis. The interior of the drum is divided, for example, into four segments, and the liquid used to achieve the pumping action is introduced into segmented compartments A and B, for example, A pump, such as the pump 58 of FIG. 2 may be mounted in a pump compartment C, and the valve 50 may be mounted at the central part of the assembly, as shown. The pump in the compartment C and the valve 50 operate in the same manner as described above in conjunction with FIG. 2 selectively to introduce and discharge the liquid from the segmented compartments A and B, so as to cause the drum 100 to oscillate about its central axis, and thereby perform the aforesaid pumping action.

As shown in FIG. 4, for example, the aforesaid segmented compartments A, B and C occupy a portion only of the drum, and a further compartment E may be provided in the drum and appropriately located, for example, to the right of the axis of rotation in FIG. 3, so that it may be filled with an appropriate counterweight material to assist in the action of the pumping jack. This counterweight material may conveniently be a liquid, or drilling mud, or any other suitable material directly available at the site at which the pumping jack is to be used. This obviates, as mentioned above, any necessity to ship the counterweight material with the pumping jack itself.

It will be appreciated that while particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, modifications may be made. It is intended in the following claims to cover the embodiments which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A pumping jack unit, and the like, comprising: a support means; a movable member mounted on said support means for reciprocal angular motion about a particular axis, said movable member defining first and second chambers on either side of said axis; a valve assembly for selectively introducing and discharging fluid to and from said first and second chambers to cause said movable member to oscillate about said axis, said valve assembly comprising a housing having first inlet and outlet ports, second inlet and outlet ports, and third inlet and outlet ports; a pump; a first pipeline coupling the outlet of the pump to the first inlet port of said housing and a second pipeline coupling the first outlet port of said housing to the in take of said pump; a further pipeline coupling the interior of said first chamber to the second inlet port of the housing and a further pipeline coupling the second outlet port of said housing to the interior of said first chamber; a further pipeline coupling the interior of the second chamber to the third inlet port of the housing and a further pipeline coupling the third outlet port of the housing to the interior of the second chamber; and an internal valve member included in said valve assembly and controllable to a first position in which the third inlet port is coupled to the second outlet port and the third outlet port is coupled to the second inlet port so that fluid may be transferred by the aforesaid pump from said first chamber to said second chamber, and in which said valve member is controllable to a second position in which said third outlet port is coupled to said second inlet port and said third inlet port is coupled to said second outlet port so that fluid may be pumped by said pump from said second chamber to said first chamber, said valve member being controlled in synchronism with the angular reciprocal movement of said movable member about the particular axis.

2. The unit defined in claim 1, in which said movable member comprises a drum having segments therein for defining said first and second chambers, and means supporting said drum on said support means for oscillatory angular movement about the central axis of said drum.

3. The unit defined in claim 2, in which said drum also provides internal chambers for receiving counterweight material.

4. The unit defined in claim 1, in which said movable member comprises a pair of spheres defining the aforesaid first and second chambers, and an arm interconnecting said spheres and pivotally mounted on said support means for reciprocal angular motion about the aforesaid axis.

5. The pumping jack unit defined in claim 1, in which said valve assembly housing is positioned at the center of said movable member for reciprocal annular movement therewith about said axis. 

1. A pumping jack unit, and the like, comprising: a support means; a movable member mounted on said support means for reciprocal angular motion about a particular axis, said movable member defining first and second chambers on either side of said axis; a valve assembly for selectively introducing and discharging fluid to and from said first and second chambers to cause said movable member to oscillate about said axis, said valve assembly comprising a housing having first inlet and outlet ports, second inlet and outlet ports, and third inlet and outlet ports; a pump; a first pipeline coupling the outlet of the pump to the first inlet port of said housing and a second pipeline coupling the first outlet port of said housing to the intake of said pump; a further pipeline coupling the interior of said first chamber to the second inlet port of the housing and a further pipeline coupling the second outlet port of said housing to the interior of said first chamber; a further pipeline coupling the interior of the second chamber to the third inlet port of the housing and a further pipeline coupling the third outlet port of the housing to the interior of the second chamber; and an internal valve member included in said valve assembly and controllable to a first position in which the third inlet port is coupled to the second outlet port and the third outlet port is coupled to the second inlet port so that fluid may be transferred by the aforesaid pump from said first chamber to said second chamber, and in which said valve member is controllable to a second position in which said third outlet port is coupled to said second inlet port and said third inlet port is coupled to said second outlet port so that fluid may be pumped by said pump from said second chamber to said first chamber, said valve member being controlled in synchronism with the angular reciprocal movement of said movable member about the particular axis.
 2. The unit defined in claim 1, in which said movable member comprises a drum having segments therein for defining said first and second chambers, and means supporting said drum on said support means for oscillatory angular movement about the central axis of said drum.
 3. The unit defined in claim 2, in which said drum also provides internal chambers for receiving counterweight material.
 4. The unit defined in claim 1, in which said movable member comprises a pair of spheres defining the aforesaid first and second chambers, and an arm interconnecting said spheres and pivotally mounted on said support means for reciprocal angular motion about the aforesaid axis.
 5. The pumping jack unit defined in claim 1, in which said valve assembly housing is positioned At the center of said movable member for reciprocal annular movement therewith about said axis. 